Weft clamping and parting mechanism for looms.



E. F. BEAVERSTOCK.

WEFT'CLAMPING AND PARTING MECHANISM FOR LOOMS. APPLICATION FILED SEPT.25.I917.

1,265,591 Patented May 7,1918.

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Ehshu F. BeuversTocK. [WM .Aflys.

E. F. BEAVERSTOCK.

WEFT CLAM-PING AND PARTING MECHANISM FOR LOOMS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.25, 1917.

Patented May 7,1918.

2 $HEETSSHEET 2 TE STATS ATNT UFTQE ELISI-IA F. BEAVER-STOCK, OF HOLYOKE, MA$SACHU$ETTS, ASSIGNOR TO DRAPER CORPORATION, OF HOPEIDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

WEF'JI GLAIVIPING AND PARTING MECHANISM FOR LOOMS.

Application filed September 25, 1917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELISHA F. BEAVER- s'rocn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Holyoke, county of Hampden, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Neft Clamping and Parting Mechanism for Looms, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like characters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to mechanism for clamping and parting the weft of the abandoned filling carrier in weft replenishing looms. In looms of this character it is cus-' tomary to provide means which act when weft replenishment takes place to clamp and part the weft immediately adjacent the boxed shuttle containing the exhausted or substantially exhausted filling carrier which means next act to carry the clamped end of the weft forwardly bringing it into the field of the usual temple thread cutter by which it is again severed at the edge of the cloth- Such clamping and parting means are commonly carried by the usual shuttle feeler.

The present'invention has for its object to provide an improved form of such clamping and parting means by which a firm clamping of the weft is secured and its severance by a clean cutting action insured.

The invention also has for its object to provide an improved form of shoe, carried by the support for the clamping and parting means, which acts to prevent wear and injury to the support by a rebounding shuttle.

These and other objects of the invention will appear more fully from the accompanying description and drawings and will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

The invention is illustrated in connection with an automatic weft replenishing loom of the well known Northrop type but it will be obvious that it may be embodied in any type of loom wherein the results which are accomplished by it are desirable.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is an elevation partially in vertical cross section looking-from the center toward the inside of the transfer end of a loom of the Northrop type with only those parts shown which are necessary to a disclosure of the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of the upper portion of the shuttle feeler with the clamping and parting means carried thereby;

Specification of Letters Patent.

Serial No. 193,084.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 with the parts shown in a different, namely an open, position;

Fig. d is a view of the parts shown in F 1g. 3 looking from the opposite side;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a side elevation partially in vertical cross section looking toward the inside of the movable clamping blade showing the locking slide;

Fig. 7 is a transverse section taken on the line AA of Fig. 3;

Fig. 8 is a transverse section taken on the line B-B of Fig. 3.

The invention is illustrated for convenience of disclosure in connection with a well known type of Northrop automatic weft replenishing loom, but as the particular construction of loom forms no part of the invention in its broader aspects, it is unnecessary to illustrate or describe the loom in detail. 7

It will be suflicient to note that the loom comprises aframe 1, the sides of which are connected by the breast beam 2, the lay 3 supported on the lay sword 4L, and carrying at each end shuttle boxes. The shuttle box 5 at the transfer end is shown with the shuttle 6 and its substantially exhausted filling carrier boxed therein. The transfer mechanism is shown as including a hopper 7 supported from the loom frame 1 and carrying a supply of fresh filling carriers 8. Upon the call for filling replenishment the usual starter rod or shaft 9 is rotated to raise the arm 10 against the tension of the spring 11 and allow the shuttle feeler 12, pivoted at 13, to swing rearwardly and simultaneously elevate the dog 14 pivoted 0n the depending shorter arm 15 of the transferrer 16 into the path of the hunter 17 carried by the lay. As the lay beats up if the shuttle feeler indicates that the shuttle is properly boxed the hunter 17 contacting with the dog 14: will depress the transferrer 16 and the transferrer will force a fresh filling carrier 8 out of the hopper 7 into the shuttle then boxed at the transfer end of the loom and then brought by the lay directly beneath, at the same time forcing out and discharging the exhausted filling carrier, all in a manner well known and familiar to those skilled in the art.

In a weft replenishing loom as already Patented May '7, 1918.

pointed out it has been customary to provide means for clamping and parting the filling of the exhausted filling carrier to be abandoned immediately adjacent the shuttle and such means have commonly been supported by the shuttle feeler. An example of such means thus supported by the shuttle feeler may be found in the patent to Draper No. 683,423, September 24:, 1901, in connection with a Northrop loom, and reference may be had thereto for the general construction and operation of the shuttle feeler and one type of clamping and parting means carried thereby.

111 the present invention the shuttle feeler is again employed as a satisfactory and efficient support for the novel clamping and parting means of this invention. It will be noted that this shuttle feeler here utilized as a support for the clamping and parting means moves toward and from the lay and across the path of the shuttle feeler toascertain if the shuttle is boxed, all in a well known manner.

The mechanism illustrated as a preferred embodin' ent of the present invention comprises a fixed cutting blade, that is, a cutting blade fixed with respect to its support, a fixed clamping blade, that is, a clamping blade likewise fixed with respect to its support, and a movable cutting blade and a movable clamping blade secured together in spaced relation between the fixed cuttingand clamping blades. The head of the shuttle feeler 12 which forms the support is provided with a transversely extending pivot pin 18 and forwardly thereof with a transversely extending stud 19. The fixed cutting blade 20 fitted over the pivot pin 18 and stud 19 and rests adjacent the support 12 with the cutting edge extending in line with and beneath the extended transverse slot 21 formed in the rearward end of the support. This fixed cutting blade may also be further steadied by fitting over a small stud 22 projecting from the support 12.

This fixed cutting blade at both its rearward or cutting portion and at its end portion is slightly curved about an axis substantially normal to the cutting edge or bent away from the support, as indicated in Fig. 5, so that when the movable cutting blade is pressed'up against it and given its cutting motion the fixed blade will yield slightiy and insure a quick and accurate shearing action upon the weft, the same action tending also to keep the cutting edges of the two blades sharp.

The fixed clamping blade 23 is held in fixed relation to the support 12 by being fitted over the pin 18 and stud 19. This blade is located directly beneath the head 24 of the pin 18 and rests over the extreme end 25 of the stud 19 which, adjacent its end, is provided with an enlarged disk-like portion 26 against the outside of which the fixed clamping blade 23 rests.

The movable cutting blade 27 and 'the movable clamping blade 28 are secured together and moved together about the pivot pin 18 and are located between the fixed cutting blade and the fixed clamping blade. These movable blades are also secured together in spaced relation, that is, a space is provided between them in which space is located the locking slide which yieldingly locks the blades in their respective open and closed positions.

The movable cutting blade 27 rests against the side of the fixed cutting blade and is provided with a curvilinear slot by which it is permitted to move over the stud 19.

The movable clamping blade 28 is rigidly secured to the movable cutting blade by rivets or pins 29, 30 and 31 and also by a screw 32. The movable clamping'blade 28 is flanged at its ends at 3,3, 34 and 35, and these flanges contact with the movable cut ting blade, thus maintaining the blades in spaced relation. In the space thus formed between the blades the locking'slideBfi is mounted. This slide is provided with two slots 37 and 38 fitting over the rivet 29 and the pin 39 which projects transversely from the two blades and serves in cooperation with the usual switch cam 10 carried by the support 41 to give the opening movement to the'blades. This locking slide at its rearward end is provided with recesses or seats 1-2 fitting over the stud 19 when the movable blades are in either open or closed position. The locking slide'is held yieldingly in engagement with the stud 19 in its respective positions by the 'spring43 caught'at its upper end in the slide, at its lower end in the tail of the movable blades, and in the middle coiled about the screw 32. A fiat surface for cooperation with the lay is provided on the depending tail of the blades preferably by fianging the movable cutting member at 44.

A helical spring 45' surrounds the pivot pin 18 and abuts the fixed clamping member 23, being'preferably seated in a recess in a face thereof, and the movable cutting member, passing through the movable clamping member. The fixed clamping blade is also relieved at its forward portion adjacent the movable clamping member so that the rearward oreffective clamping por-, tion of these members may be brought into intimate contact. The pivot pin 18 is threaded into the support 12 and a locking set screw afipasses through the support and engages the pivot pin. The stud 19 is also threaded into the support 12 and similarly provided with a locking set screw 47.

It will thus be seen that by adjusting the pivot pin 18 and stud 19 the movable cutting member may be brought up snugly against thefixed cutting member with greater or less pressure as desired at the cutting portion, and, at the same time. the fixed clamping member may be brought up against the movable clamping member with more or less pressure at the effective clamping portion, thus insuring both extreme accuracy and clearness of cutting action and extreme accuracy and firmness of clamping action, while at the same time allowing adjustment to be made for Wear of the parts.

The construction thus illustrated and described as a preferredform of the invention provides a simple and highly efficient clamping and parting means enabling the weft to be severed cleanly and accurately and to be firmly clamped and held as the shuttle feeler moves forward to bring the severed end into the path of the usual temple thread cutter.

The opening and closing movements are accomplished in the manner usually provided in shuttle feeler weft clamping and parting means. The shuttle feeler normally stands, as shown in Fig. 1, swung forwardly with the clamping and parting means in closed position. Upon the call for filling replenishment the shuttle feeler swings rearwardly and during this movement the pin 39 contacting with the switch cam 40 moves the movable clamping and parting members to open position. In this position the shuttle feeler reaches its rearward limit of travel and the weft extending from the shuttle passes into the slot 21 and between the opened clamping and parting means. As the lay continues its beat up it contacts with the flange 4:4, thus swinging the movable clamping and parting members to closed position and forcing the shuttle feeler to its forward position.

WVhen the shuttle feeler is in its rearward position and the shuttle has passed and entered the box the shuttle not infrequently rebounds and its sharp steel pointed end striking the shuttle feeler scars, .cuts and damages the shuttle feeler adjacent the slot 21. To take this wearing and cutting action a shoe has heretofore been provided slidingly mounted upon the face of the shuttle feeler. In this invention such a shoe 48 is provided, but in this case is pivotally mounted at 49 on the face of the shuttle feeler. This shoe is provided with a recess 50 opening to the outer end thereof and having its lateral wall 51 divergent. A pin 52 in the shuttle feeler engages a recess or notch in the shoe and the shoe at this point is held yieldingly in contact with the pin 52 with its recess 50 in line with the slot 21 by a spring 53 secured to a stud M in the shuttle feeler at one end and engaging the shoe at the other end.

If now the shuttle rebounds its pointed nose will strike in the divergent wall recess 50 and will not reach and injure the shuttle feeler itself. As the shuttle feeler swings in its path the shuttle if in engagement with the shoe will cause the shoe to yield vertically and thus prevent the shuttle from being lifted in the box. If the shoe after a time is worn or injured by the shuttle it may readily be replaced at small expense.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a weft replenishing loom a support movable toward and from the lay, a fixed cutting blade and a fixed clamping blade carried thereby, a pivot pin mounted in said support and extending through said blades, a cutting blade and a clamping blade secured together and journaled on said pivot pin between said fixed cutting and clamping blades, a helical spring on said pivot pin passing through said movable clamping blade and abutting said fixed clamping blade and said movable cutting blade, and means for adjusting said pivot pin to adjust the fixed clamping blade toward and from the support.

2. In a weft replenishing loom the combination of features set forth in claim 1 together with a stud mounted and longitudinally adjustable in said support forward of said pivot pin, extending through slots in said movable cutting and clamping blades and into said fixed clamping blade, and having a shoulder engaging the outer face of the movable clamping blade.

3. In a weft replenishing loom the combination of features set forth in claim 1 in which the fixed cutting blade is bent or concaved toward the movable cutting blade about an axis substantially normal to the cutting edge.

4. In a weft replenishing loom the combination of features set forth in claim 2 in which the fixed cutting blade is bent or concaved toward the movable cutting blade about an axis substantially normal to the cutting edge.

5. In a weft replenishing loom the com bination of features set forth in claim 1 in which the movable cutting and clamping blades are secured together in spaced relation and in which a yielding locking slide is located in the space between the cutting and clamping blades and acts to yieldingly lock the said blades in their extreme open and closed position.

6. In a weft replenishing loom the combination of features set forth in claim 2 in which the forward portion of the face of the fixed clamping blade adjacent the movable clamping blade is relieved so that the rear or effective clamping portion of the clamping blades may be brought into intimate contact.

7. In a weft replenishing loom the comwhich the movable cutting and clamping blades are secured together in spaced relation and in which in addition a locking slide is mounted in the space between said cutting and clamping blades, is provided with means for guiding it longitudinally of said blades with recesses adapted to engage the said studwhen the blades are in extreme open and closed positions respectively, and with means for yieldingly projecting it into engagement with said stud.

- 8, In a weft replenishing loom a member movable toward and from the lay across the path of the shuttle, a shoe pivoted to the side of said member and provided with a recess opening to the outer end thereof, the

lateral walls of said recess being divergent, and means for yieldingly'retaining said'shoe in normal position but permitting it to swing'on its pivot during the movement of said member if the shuttle is in engagement with the shoe.

9; In a weft replenishing loom the combination of features set forth in claim 8 wherein in addition the rearward end of said member is slotted longitudinally and the said shoe is yieldingly retained with its recess in line with said slot.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name .to this specification.

ELISHA F. BEAVERSTOGK.

Copies ofthis patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, I). C. 

